Doctors in the Erding district are concerned about the mental health of adolescents.
They notice a greatly increased need for psychological help.
The cause is not only the Corona period.
Erding
– Pandemic, isolation, climate crisis, war, fears for the future: the children and young people in the Erding district are under great psychological pressure.
Apparently they have suffered much more than adults from the challenges of the past few years - and still suffer today.
This is testified to by the Erdinger lung specialist and chairman of the medical district association, Dr.
Mark Marshal.
Significant increase in mental illness
The results of a survey among general practitioners and pediatricians in the Erding district speak for themselves, says Marschall.
"My colleagues in the specialist practices, but also general practitioners, are noticing a significant increase in mental illnesses among adolescents."
What is striking here is that the pandemic and the period of social isolation have apparently caused disproportionately greater long-term damage to the young generation than to adults.
While the need for psychological care in the group of children and young people has increased sharply in the district, there has only been a slight increase among adults, Marshal informs.
Compulsions, chafing, eating problems
Typical symptoms with which adolescents are currently seeking help in the practices are, for example, eating problems, compulsive acts or self-injurious behavior, commonly known as so-called scratching, explains Marschall.
But everyone reacts differently to increasing pressure.
Other children do not go to school for weeks or months because of anxiety-related diffuse symptoms and withdraw.
They suffer from listlessness, brooding and sadness.
As early as 2020, the health insurance company KKH reported 60 percent more eating disorders and 30 percent more depression among minors compared to the pre-Corona years.
Overall, the number of depressions has doubled within ten years.
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"GPs and psychologists are noticing an increase in mental illnesses in children and adolescents," says Dr.
Mark Marshal.
The district doctor's spokesman had asked around among his colleagues in Erdinger Land.
© NAGLIK
And even those whose psychological pressure still seems relatively low suffer.
According to the final report of the federal government’s working group “Health effects on children and young people due to Corona”, 73 percent of children and young people are currently still suffering from the consequences of the corona pandemic, in some cases severely psychologically.
Marshal says figures that the established colleagues in Erding can only confirm.
So there's fire everywhere.
Isolation due to the Corona measures
At least a good part of the causes of the tense situation can be found in the pandemic, says the Erdinger medical spokesman.
"The loneliness of the young people due to the measures taken during the Corona period certainly made its contribution."
In this respect, there is hope that the situation will improve in the near future, explains Marschall.
“We understood what young people need and politicians have also learned something new,” he says.
For example, no one would go through with school closures to the same extent today, says Marschall.
War and climate crises also play a role
Nevertheless, the plight of the children will probably not simply disappear into thin air in the post-Corona period.
Several surveys show that the global, overlapping crises related to war and climate also play a role in the illness of children's souls.
Fears about the future are increasing.
Added to this is the increasing pressure to perform at school and in leisure time, as well as the over-representation of social media.
It is precisely against this background that Marschall criticizes the current needs planning for statutory health insurance.
In the district of Erding, noticeably too few child and youth psychologists are licensed, i.e. in possession of a statutory health insurance doctor's seat, criticizes Marschall and sees the legislator as having an obligation.
Patients often wait a long time for therapy places
The result: For many patients it is difficult or even impossible to get hold of a place in therapy – and if they do, then often with waiting times that can last for months.
"There are no vacancies," says Marschall, and talks about a specialized child and youth therapist in Erding, who can only work on private accounts due to the lack of a statutory health insurance doctor.
"In desperation, the parents have to pay for the therapy out of their own pockets," explains Marschall.
An absurdity that must be remedied as soon as possible, says the doctor's spokesman for the district.
Panel discussion: Youth under pressure
On Wednesday, March 15, speakers from child and adolescent medicine, outpatient and inpatient child and adolescent psychiatry, forensic medicine, school psychology and youth welfare will address the topic of “Children and adolescents under pressure”.
They illuminate psychological problems in children and young people, look for the causes and point out offers of help.
The organizer of the symposium for the rural districts of Erding, Rosenheim and Ebersberg is the Medical District Association of Ebersberg.
Part of the free, public information event from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Alter Speicher in Ebersberg is a panel discussion moderated by Uta Künkler, editor of our newspaper.
Information is available at www.ebersberger-hausarztforum.de.
